Michelle Duster

4.8 out of 5

Public Historian, Equity Advocate & Award-Winning Author Known for "Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells"

Chicago, IL, USA
Live Event: $5,000 - $10,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Michelle Duster Biography

Michelle Duster is an author, public historian, educator, and champion of racial and gender equity who has worked for over 30 years in various mediums to highlight the positive contributions of women and African Americans to the United States. She has written, edited, or contributed to numerous articles and over 20 books, plus worked on monuments, markers, murals, statues, documentary films, and film festivals -- all to tell stories that have frequently been omitted, skewed or marginalized.

She is determined to help current and future generations be exposed to and inspired by more inclusive and truthful representation. Her most recent books about her great-grandmother Ida B. Wells are the picture book, "Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth" and the adult book "Ida B. the Queen." She also co-edited the anthologies "Impact: Personal Portraits of Activism" and "Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls."

BOOK Michelle Duster

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/14/2025.

Michelle Duster Speaking Topics

  • Make an Impact: Lessons from Ida B. Wells and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    The combined lifespans of these two leaders is over one hundred years of struggle for freedom, justice, and racial equality. Their lives overlapped by two years, so one can think that Wells passed the activist baton to King. Although they were two generations apart, they have a lot in common. Michelle Duster highlights the similarities between these two activists and offers suggestions on how today’s leaders can make an impact by adopting some of the strategies used by Wells and King.

  • Ida B. Wells & Today's Street Journalism

    Information included in the mainstream media has historically been told through an overwhelmingly white male lens. As a result, the perspectives and realities of African Americans tend to be overlooked, skewed, or erased. In order to combat this, some have taken initiative to report their own realities. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Ida B. Wells took control, countered false narratives, and chronicled the realities of lynchings and riots during her time. A century later, the African American community is still impacted by racial inequality and state-sanctioned violence. Writer, speaker, educator, Michelle Duster, will discuss how her paternal great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells pioneered data journalism and how that tradition contributes to truth and justice.

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Michelle Duster Videos

Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells (Full Stream 2/1)

Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells (Full Stream 2/1)

Ida B. Wells was a suffragist, civil rights activist and pioneering journalist who chronicled the lynching of Black Americans in her reporting. On...

P&P Live! Michelle Duster | IDA B. THE QUEEN

P&P Live! Michelle Duster | IDA B. THE QUEEN

Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural...

How To Change Public Perception with Michelle Duster

How To Change Public Perception with Michelle Duster

Michelle Duster is an award-winning author, speaker, and educator. Her professional background includes two decades of writing in ...

  • How do I book Michelle Duster to speak at my event?

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  • What are the speaker fees for Michelle Duster

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  • What topics does Michelle Duster speak about?

    Michelle Duster is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Anti-Racism, Author, Bestselling Authors, Black Heritage, Black History Month, College, Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Educational Motivational, Social Activism
  • Where does Michelle Duster travel from?

    Michelle Duster generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Michelle Duster for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Michelle Duster for your next private or corporate function.
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Michelle Duster is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Make an Impact: Lessons from Ida B. Wells and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ida B. Wells & Today's Street Journalism , From 1919 Black Awakening to 2021 Black Lives Matter Movement, African American Suffragists and the Struggle for Inclusion, Ida B. Wells and Family Legacy of Determination, Education & Agitation and Preserve and Celebrate Your Own History of Family, Community or Institutions. The estimated speaking fee range to book Michelle Duster for your event is available upon request. Michelle Duster generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Xernona Clayton, Yoruba Richen, Alaina E. Roberts, Boyah J. Farah and Jasmine Crowe-Houston. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Michelle Duster for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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